The Same Coin
by iceecream456
Summary: Arthur gets kidnapped by Morgana. Assuming Arthur knows about his protector Emrys, she tries to get information out of him. After Arthur escapes, he wonders about this 'sorcerer protector' and tries to find out who he is. Eventual magic reveal:)
1. Chapter 1

**[The Same Coin]**

**A/N**: Hi everyone! It's been a long time since I've written a fanfic, so please forgive me if you don't like it. I hope you all like it. I thought it was an interesting plot. This chapter consists of 1,946 words.

**Setting:** The story takes place after season four and before season five. Gwen is queen. **EVENTS ARE ****NON-CANON**.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own BBC's Merlin.

* * *

_{Chapter One}_

Arthur and Gwen were sitting on the thrones of Camelot as one of the guards escorted a young lady into the room. The rest of the royal court had said that the young lady insisted on seeing the king and queen. Gaius stood to the right side of the throne, near the windows.

The woman nervously knelt on her knees to greet the king and queen, but Gwen said, "Please, stand up." The woman stood up and looked at Arthur and Gwen. "What is your name?" Gwen asked calmly.

"My name is Trina, milady," Trina said.

"What is it that is so important that you wished to speak with us?" Arthur asked this time.

Trina said, "I was traveling back home to my village with the rest of my friends, and my younger brother. All was well until we were attacked by bandits. We tried to fight them off, but they were too strong for us. All of a sudden, the Lady Morgana appeared. She killed everyone I was traveling with. I alone escaped to inform you."

Trina looked worn out. The clothes she was wearing had dirt and several tears on them. Gaius took a look at Trina's feet. They looked red, saying that she probably ran all the way here.

Gaius then said, "Sire, it appears to be that these bandits this young woman is speaking of are in league with Morgana."

Arthur put his hand to his forehead, showing a hint of frustration. He removed his hand from his head and asked, "Where were you when the bandits attacked?"

"I don't know really know where we were, My Lord. But we were traveling towards Ealdor at the time," Trina said.

_This happened near Merlin's home,_ Arthur thought.

Arthur finally said, "Thank you for telling me this. You may go."

Trina bowed. She turned and started to leave. One of the guards escorted her out of the room.

Gwen looked at Arthur and said worriedly, "Why would Morgana attack travelers near Merlin's home village?"

Arthur replied, "She wants to draw Merlin out. Merlin is a clumsy buffoon. He would be an easy target to kidnap and use against us."

Gwen nodded. She asked, "Then what should we do? We can't just ignore this."

_I helped Ealdor before. We even won against Kanen. If I can help them before, I can help them again,_ Arthur silently thought.

"I'm going to go put a stop to this," Arthur finally said.

He started to get up from the throne but Gwen stopped him, "It's too dangerous Arthur... I can't afford to lose you."

Arthur looked at Gwen and smiled, "I'll bring Gwaine and Leon with me." Gwen still looked hesitant, but Arthur finally said, "We stopped Morgana before, we can do it again."

Gwen finally gave in, "Alright, you better come back." Arthur and Gwen exchanged a kiss, not caring that Gaius was there. Gaius was too busy thinking of Merlin.

Merlin picked up some sort of illness the day before. It was bad enough that Arthur decided to give him the day off, seeing that he didn't want to catch it. Gaius was doing everything he can to help Merlin get better, but nothing seemed to work well. The illness made Merlin feel very weak and tired, but he was coughing a lot, plus a lot of other unexplainable symptoms.

Arthur was about to leave until Gwen asked, "What should I tell Merlin while you're gone?"

Arthur replied back, "Um… you can try telling him that I went to visit Queen Annis with Gwaine and Leon. Tell him there was something I needed to discuss with her about the other kingdoms." Gaius didn't even hear the story he was supposed to tell Merlin. Even if he did hear it, he would still tell Merlin the truth on Arthur's whereabouts.

"Alright, I love you Arthur," Gwen smiled.

"I love you too," Arthur returned a smile and left.

Not long after Arthur left, Gaius then said, "Gwen, I am sorry but I must leave to attend to Merlin."

"Of course, I hope he gets better soon," Gwen said.

Gaius turned and exited out the door, and started walking back to where Merlin was.

* * *

Merlin was on a bed when Gaius returned. He was sleeping, dreaming. It wasn't a nice dream though. Judging on Merlin's shaking body, it was a nightmare.

"_Arthur, I wanted to tell you something," Merlin said nervously. They were in Arthur's room. Arthur was sitting at his desk, writing a speech._

_Arthur sighed. He said in a slightly annoyed tone, "What is it you wanted to tell me Merlin? What is so important that you decided to tell me while I'm in the middle of writing a speech?"_

_They exchanged glances with each other. Finally, Merlin mustered up his courage before saying, "I have magic."_

_Arthur heard the words clear as day. He just needed to hear it one more time, "Can you say that again?"_

_Merlin was fighting hard not to let tears stream down his face, "I s-said that I have m-magic."_

_That was enough to make Arthur snap. He rose from his chair and grabbed his sword. Before Merlin could say anything else, the tip of Arthur's sword was at his throat._

"_How long have you kept this from me?" Arthur demanded, betrayal clear in his voice._

"_Arthur, please…" Merlin started._

_Arthur didn't let Merlin finish, "How long!?"_

_Merlin let a tear out and finally muttered, "Since we first met."_

_Arthur's hand clenched tighter around the hilt of Excalibur. He was breathing heavily while he said, "You've been lying to me. All this time, you've been lying to me!" He let out a dark laugh, "How could I be so stupid? I knew there was something off about you. I just never would have thought you would have…"_

_Arthur didn't say the last word. It was as though he thought the word 'magic' would bring evil upon him if he said it._

_Merlin started again, "Arthur please, I've only used it for good…"_

_Arthur moved his sword so that it was pointing to Merlin's heart. He yelled, "No! I never should have trusted you! You betrayed me, just like Morgana and Agravaine did." A moment passed before Arthur continued, "You must be working with Morgana. I should kill you, right here, right now."_

_Merlin's eyes widened, "No, Arthur! Please, you have to listen to me!"_

"_I don't negotiate with sorcerers," Arthur said bitterly. The next moment, Arthur ran Excalibur through Merlin's chest. Merlin collapsed to the floor, looking at Arthur with disbelief. He was returned with a glance of pure hate. Arthur watched as Merlin suffered. Eventually, Merlin stopped breathing._

"_Guards, get this sorcerer out of my sight," Arthur looked at his guards._

Merlin snapped his eyes open. He was met with Gaius trying to shake him awake.

"Wha-What happened?" Merlin struggled to say.

Gaius sighed in relief, "Finally, I've been trying to wake you up for the last minute. You looked as if you were having a nightmare."

_I was,_ Merlin thought. He hated when he had nightmares about revealing his magic to Arthur, and Arthur killing him for it. It was strange though, this was the first kind of nightmare he had ever after Arthur became king. It was different from the other ones. The other ones that he had were from when Uther was still alive, and Arthur was a prince. When Arthur found out about his magic, he would struggle to make the choice to hand him in or keep his secret. In the end, he was handed in and executed, every single time.

Merlin didn't like to think Arthur was like his father, because he wasn't. Arthur was Arthur, and he is a better man than his father. If that was the case, why didn't he tell Arthur about his magic yet? That's right. Merlin didn't trust Arthur enough not to kill him if he did find out.

It wasn't that Merlin didn't want to tell Arthur. He did, very badly. But ever since Uther's death, Arthur told him he would never lose sight that magic was evil ever again. It's pretty hard to tell your friend that you're a sorcerer after you're told something like that. And it didn't help that Morgana was out there, thinking of ways to try and kill Arthur.

Gaius gave Merlin some medicine. Gaius finally said after a long while, "Morgana attacked a group of travelers heading towards Ealdor. Arthur is going there now with Sir Gwane and Sir Leon."

The words 'Morgana', 'attacked', 'Ealdor', and 'Arthur' were enough to make Merlin struggle to get out of the bed, "I have to help him. He's going to get himself killed."

Gaius pushed Merlin back down, "In the condition you're in? You're too tired to even walk, Merlin. Arthur will be fine. Sir Gwaine and Sir Leon are with him. Besides, even if you do manage to catch up with them, you'll slow them down because of your condition. He'll be fine."

It was hard for Merlin to accept Gaius's words. He was so used to saving Arthur's life. He couldn't just sit around and wait to get better. His mother was still alive, but she won't be for much longer if Morgana attacks Ealdor too, he had to stop her.

"How do you know Morgana attacked people near Ealdor?" Merlin asked curiously.

"A woman escaped from the attack and came here to warn Arthur. She claims to have come from Ealdor as well," Gaius replied.

"Did you get her name?" Merlin asked. He then coughed.

Gaius handed Merlin a glass of water. He replied as Merlin was gulping down the water, "She said her name was Trina."

Merlin choked and spit out the water he just drank. Gaius was startled and put a hand to his heart.

"Merlin! Are you alright?" Gaius asked worriedly.

"There's no one in Ealdor named Trina, Gaius. Ealdor is a small village, I know every single person that lives there. There's no one in Ealdor that's named Trina," Merlin said. He was starting to panic now, "It's a trap. We have to stop Arthur and the others."

Gaius put his hands to his head, "I'm sure Arthur will be fine, he is with Sir Gwaine and Sir Leon. Let us hope you get better soon."

Gaius started to leave until Merlin asked, "Where are you going?" He started coughing again.

Gaius replied, "I'm going to speak with Gwen. Don't go anywhere while I'm gone."

Merlin nodded, "I'll see you soon."

Gaius nodded in return and left. Merlin was deep in thought. How was he going to save Arthur? He was stuck here. Gaius was right. He was too tired to walk. If he was too tired to even walk, no way he could catch up to Arthur to warn him.

Then, it hit him. He knew what he could do to try to save Arthur. He'll send a blue orb, like he did the other time when Arthur was trapped in the caves, trying to get the cure for him after he drank poison to save Arthur's life. Arthur kept rambling about this blue orb for some time. Maybe if he conjured another one… Arthur would be saved. Merlin hoped the plan would work. After all, Arthur hasn't seen a blue orb for a long time. Also, his views of magic changed ever since Uther was killed.

_Let's hope this works…_ Merlin thought.

Merlin whispered some words, and he summoned a blue orb. Merlin smiled, but his smile faltered when he started to feel sleepy.

_No… not now, I have to warn Arthur first, _Merlin tried to persist, but it wasn't any use. He fell back to sleep. The blue orb still remained in his hand, but it was starting to flicker and fade every once in a while.

* * *

**A/N:** I hope you liked the first chapter. It's longer than I thought it was going to be. If you review, please have them positive. The next chapter focuses more on Arthur, and Morgana will make an appearance as well. I'll try to update as soon as I can. Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

**[The Same Coin]**

**A/N**: Hi everyone! Thanks to the people who kindly reviewed and to the people who decided to follow this story! I hope you like this chapter.

**Setting:** The story takes place after season four and before season five. Gwen is queen. **EVENTS ARE ****NON-CANON**.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own BBC's Merlin.

* * *

_{Chapter Two}_

"Sire, why don't we just warn the village of Ealdor of Morgana's whereabouts? I don't think we should just rush into trying to stop Morgana," Leon said.

Arthur said, "We'll warn Ealdor first, then we'll stop Morgana."

"Ooh, we have a persistent princess," Gwaine started laughing at his joke.

Leon held back a laugh, but he smiled as Arthur gave a look at Gwaine. Arthur finally sighed, "Whether I like it or not, Morgana is my sister. I can't just have her attacking innocent people. We can take her."

"What makes you say that, sire?" Leon asked.

Arthur said, "Do you remember when we tried to retake Camelot? We met the pair of smugglers, Tristan and Isolde. While you and the other knights were fighting off Morgana's army, I went to face Morgana with Merlin, Gwen, Tristan, and Isolde. Something strange happened." Arthur paused for a moment before continuing, "Morgana couldn't use magic against me, and she ran. We can stop her if she can't use her magic."

Leon then said, "We shouldn't underestimate her, sire. She might have regained her magic."

"True… we'll find a way. We always managed to escape death from Morgana, we can do it again," Arthur said confidently.

Gwaine laughed as he rode beside Arthur's right side, "So what happened with Merlin?"

Arthur gave a look at Gwaine again, "What made you mention Merlin?"

Gwaine laughed even harder, "Don't think I haven't noticed your concern for him."

Arthur shrugged, "To be honest, I don't know. Gaius says that he's sick and that he's too tired to walk. But I gave him the day off because he was coughing a lot. I didn't want to get sick myself."

"How long has it been since he has gotten sick?" Leon asked.

"It started two days ago," Arthur replied.

Leon frowned, "It isn't likely that Merlin gets sick. He never gets sick…"

"I'm sure it's nothing. He'll probably be better by the time we get back."

The conversation about Merlin was put on hold when Gwaine shouted happily, "Hey! Look at that!"

Arthur and Leon stopped talking as they took a look at what Gwaine was pointing at. They all halted their horses to take a better look at it.

"What on earth is that?" Leon asked.

Arthur's eyes widened slightly at recognition. It was a blue orb. The blue orb hovered lightly in the air a few feet in front of them. Something was off about it though, it flickered every once in a while. Arthur took a moment to remember the time he was trapped in the caves. A sorceress led him into the caves to 'help him' get the cure for Merlin. But she trapped him in there. Luckily, a blue orb helped him to climb out.

The blue orb started to float in another direction. It was trying to lead them away from Ealdor.

"Should we follow it, sire?" Leon asked.

Arthur finally said after a moment, "The blue orb could be a trap. I mean… look at it, it's flickering as if it's trying to trick us."

Gwaine said, "Maybe whoever sent it is trying to help us get to Ealdor?"

Arthur shook his head, "Ealdor isn't that way. Besides, whoever sent it is a _sorcerer_." Arthur felt slightly bad by ignoring the blue orb, but he finally said, "I think this sorcerer is trying to lead us into a trap. We should keep going."

Gwaine and Leon exchanged a look of hesitancy. The blue orb didn't seem harmful at all. They didn't understand why Arthur would ignore it.

_That blue orb isn't the same as the last one. The last one was strong and solid. This one looks fragile… as if this sorcerer wanted to copy another sorcerer's spell. I told Merlin, Gwen, and Morgana that a blue orb helped me one day. The blue orb saved my life. Maybe Morgana tried to conjure up a blue orb to trick me,_ Arthur thought in his head as he and the knights rode past the orb. _I guess if the blue orb felt like the last one, I might have followed it. But it didn't add up, the orb just didn't feel like the last one. Morgana's trying to fool me, it's not going to work this time._

Gwaine and Leon took a moment to look at the orb. It was shaking in desperation, as if begging for the knights to go that way.

"Princess, I think we should listen to the orb… it seems eager," Gwaine started to say.

But when Arthur looked back at the orb, it finally flickered away, as if it lost all its strength.

"It's one of Morgana's tricks, we probably shouldn't fall for it," Arthur said firmly.

Leon looked confused, "Sire, if Morgana was the one to send the blue orb, wouldn't that mean she would be nearby?"

"We should hurry then, we have to warn Ealdor first," Arthur said.

Before they could keep riding, a force of magic hit the three knights. They were knocked out as they slammed against a tree.

_Alright… maybe I should have listened to the blue orb…_ Arthur finally thought before he was officially unconscious.

* * *

When Arthur finally awakened, he was met with an unfamiliar room. He never saw this place before. That's when Arthur saw the bounds that trapped his arms against the wall. He groaned in frustration as he tried to break free, but the stupid metal rings wouldn't budge.

Gwaine and Leon were in a similar position. They were on the other walls. Gwaine was on his left, and Leon was on his right.

"Gwaine, Leon," Arthur said, slightly raising his voice loud enough so that his knights heard him.

The red cloaks that they were wearing were ripped from their armor. Each of them was sprawled in the corner of the room, ripped from anger. Their swords were with their red cloaks. They were in the far corner. Whoever captured them knew to disarm them.

Gwaine and Leon stirred awake. They took in their surroundings. Leon asked worriedly, "Where are we?"

"I wish I knew," Arthur said. The ceiling was high, and you wouldn't be able to get a good grip on the wall to climb up to the windows. Even if they did escape the thick rings that binded their wrists against the wall, the only way out would be through the mysterious door that was meters away from Arthur, and who knows what is beyond that door.

Gwaine was surprisingly quiet, trying to think of a way to escape. But to his disappointment, the only way out was that door.

Their thoughts were interrupted when the door opened. Morgana strode in wearing a black dress. It stuck out at certain points, as if it was a bit tattered at certain times, but it was the same exact dress she wore when Arthur and the others retook Camelot. She was alone, and she wasn't smiling, but she wasn't frowning either. It was as though she was just satisfied that she managed to knock out three knights.

Leon and Gwaine looked at her warily, and Arthur looked at her angrily, "What do you want with us Morgana?" He finally said.

Morgana asked sarcastically back, "Is that any way to greet your sister, Arthur?" No one said anything in return. Morgana continued, "I'm surprised how you fell into my little trap, I should give Trina some credit. She fooled you pretty well." She laughed to herself.

"You mean it was all a lie?" Arthur clenched his fists.

Morgana stopped laughing and said, "Of course it was! No one was killed. She's an acquaintance of one of the bandits here. It was nice of them to share their place with me."

Arthur asked again, "What do you want with us? Surely you must have a reason if you sent someone to draw me out."

Morgana slowly paced around the room, "Patience, brother. I have a small question for you before I get what I want."

Gwaine looked up as Arthur asked, "What do you want to ask me?"

"How's Merlin doing? I had to make sure he didn't come with you. Whenever he's there, he always foils my plans. I didn't want this plan to fail, so I made him sick," Morgana seemed proud of what she did.

Gwaine said angrily, "You made Merlin sick!? He has done nothing to you! I don't know how Merlin foils your plans, but even if he does, he hasn't done anything to you specifically!"

Morgana's eyes flared with anger. The next moment, Gwaine was screaming in agony.

"Stop, Morgana! He hasn't done anything to you!" Arthur shouted angrily.

Gwaine eventually stopped screaming. Morgana angrily said to Gwaine, "You have no idea what Merlin has done to me! He poisoned me! I don't even know why! Merlin betrayed me!"

Leon intervened, "Merlin would never do that! Merlin is a very kind man, you must be crazy!"

It was Leon's turn to scream. Arthur yelled at Morgana to drop the spell again, and after a while, she did.

Morgana finally calmed herself and said, "No matter, he'll be better soon. I just needed him sick so that he wouldn't miraculously foil my plans. It's a simple spell, but no worries brother, Merlin will be better once you return… if you ever return."

"If you really hate Merlin so much, why didn't you just use your magic to just kill him?" Arthur asked. He didn't want to give Morgana any ideas, but something about her story just seemed off.

Morgana looked as though she wanted to end this conversation about Merlin, "It's not that simple, you can't just think of someone dying, and then they're dead. It doesn't work that way." Morgana dropped her frown, and smiled darkly, "Anyways, back to the topic at hand. I need some information from you, Arthur. It was just a matter of luck that you happened to bring Gwaine and Leon with you."

Arthur said firmly, "You won't get anything from me about Camelot."

Morgana started laughing, "I'm not asking you about information about Camelot. I'm asking if you know anything about Emrys."

The name was unfamiliar with the knights in the room. They didn't know about about an Emrys.

"I don't know what an Emrys is, Morgana. Now let us go," Arthur said rather calmly.

The next thing Arthur knew, he was screaming. The pain was unimaginable, as if daggers continuously stabbed him in his chest. He brought his head back in pain.

Morgana groaned as she dropped the spell, "As much as I want to kill you, Arthur, I need information on Emrys. Don't play dumb. You must know who Emrys is. Emrys isn't a 'what'. He's a 'who'. Emrys has been protecting you for years, also continuously foiling my plans. You must know who he is."

Arthur didn't know what Morgana was talking about. All he remembered about Emrys was that Morgana mentioned him when they retook Camelot from her. She said, 'Not even Emrys can save you now.'

Arthur sighed before saying, "You have to believe me Morgana, but I really don't know who Emrys is. In fact, I didn't even know he has been protecting me. I don't know of the person you're speaking of. You won't get anything from me about this because I don't know anything."

Morgana let out a frustrated sigh. She then turned to Gwaine and Leon, "What about you two? Do you know who Emrys is?"

Gwaine shook his head in confusion. Leon finally said, "I only know that he is a sorcerer. Some druidic prophecies speak of him, but that's all I know. I have no idea who he could be."

_Morgana claims that a sorcerer is protecting me. Why would a sorcerer protect me? It doesn't make sense. Morgana really is crazy,_ Arthur thought.

Morgana said, "Well, it looks like you don't know anything. But I'll keep you here. Maybe Emrys will come running in here to save you." Morgana laughed darkly as she sent one last pain spell to the three knights. A passing bandit heard the screams through the other side of the door, and quickly walked faster.

Morgana smiled as if this was the best day of her life, "The king of Camelot with two knights in my grasp, Emrys in a pressuring position, and Camelot without a king, this is just perfect!" She sneered at Arthur, "Without you, Gwen is weak. She is weak and alone, you won't be able to help her."

Arthur breathed heavily from being released by the spell Morgana inflicted on him. He struggled to say, "Don't hurt her! You will regret it!"

Morgana laughed at Arthur. She turned to leave and said, "Farewell, brother." They were left alone.

* * *

_How could I be so stupid?_ Arthur thought. He looked at Gwaine. Gwaine looked at him as if he wanted to say 'I told you so.' He should have followed the blue orb. Wherever it was about to take them was far better than being here.

"What should we do, sire?" Leon asked.

"Try to get out of these bounds, it's going to be hard, but we have to get out of here," Arthur said.

Arthur, Gwaine, and Leon spent a good five minutes trying to work their wrists out of the metal rings that trapped their hands against the wall. It was no use, it wouldn't budge.

Leon then said, "It looks like these bounds needs to be unlocked, do you guys see a small keyhole?"

Gwaine was first to say, "I see it!"

Arthur groaned in frustration. They didn't have anything on them to pick a keyhole. Gwaine and Leon were here because of him, this was his fault.

Gwaine seemed to notice Arthur's troubled look and said, "This isn't your fault, princess. Let's just focus on getting out of here."

Their thoughts were interrupted when the door opened again. It was a woman. She was dressed like how Gwen used to dress when she was a serving girl, but a bit differently. She had blonde hair that had slight waves. You could see a bit of dirt in her hair and on her face. The woman looked to be in her early twenties.

Arthur and the others stopped talking when she entered. She finally said, "My name is Fiona. I am an acquaintance of one of the bandits, but I do not agree with Morgana's ways."

"Are you a sorcerer?" Arthur asked her suspiciously.

Fiona shook her head, "No. Morgana has killed the leading bandit and has taken control over the rest of the bandits. Trina is my younger sister. She is blinded by Morgana's dark ways. Once I heard that you were here, I knew I needed to do something." Fiona pulled out a small key, "I stole this from Morgana. I don't have much time, but once I set you free, you must leave."

Fiona unlocked Arthur's bounds first. She went to Gwaine and did the same thing. Leon was last.

The knights rubbed their wrists in slight pain as they saw the shackle marks that dug into their skin.

"You must not let anyone know that it was me who set you free. Once you exit this door, take a right. Once you reach the end of the hall you take the left staircase downstairs. You go all the way down to the first floor and take a left, and you should see the exit," Fiona said. She continued, "You must go now, all of the other bandits are in their meeting room with Morgana. I suggest you don't try to fight her today. She has powerful magic, and it can only be fought with powerful magic. You should go."

Arthur looked at her, a bit confused as he grabbed his sword from the floor, "Why are you helping us?"

"Morgana killed my friend, he was the leading bandit. She somehow has Trina under her influence, but I never agreed with her ways of using magic. You are the king of Camelot. Camelot only flourishes when it has a king. I couldn't just not do anything and let you slowly suffer. I wish you luck, Arthur Pendragon," the woman said.

She turned to leave until Arthur said, "Thank you."

Once Fiona left, Gwaine said happily with his sword, "Alright! It's time to bust out of here!"

* * *

**A/N:** I hoped you like the chapter. Merlin will come back in the next chapter, but the next chapter is more about Arthur. I'll try to update soon. If you review, please have them positive. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

**[The Same Coin]**

**A/N**: Hi everyone! Thanks to the people who kindly reviewed and to the people who decided to follow and favorite this story! I hope you like this chapter. I'm sorry for the late update, but I am getting busy and I won't be able to update so fast. Please understand. Thanks and enjoy the chapter!

**Setting:** The story takes place after season four and before season five. Gwen is queen. **EVENTS ARE ****NON-CANON**.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own BBC's Merlin.

* * *

_{Chapter Three}_

_Merlin… Merlin… MERLIN…_ Merlin groaned as he slowly woke up. The dragon was calling him. _You've been sick for too long, Merlin… if you come to the clearing, I can heal you._

The dragon was finally out of his head. Merlin looked at his hand to see that the blue orb he tried to conjure was gone. Merlin didn't understand why he was sick. He had never gotten sick before, it just didn't happen to him. But the dragon was right, he had been sick for too long. Arthur's life was at stake every second he continued to lie here.

"Gaius," he said hoarsely. "You need to bring me to the clearing… Kilgharrah intends to heal me."

Gaius walked over to Merlin and handed him a glass of water. As Merlin sipped, he said, "Do you honestly think I can get you to the clearing?"

It was true, Gaius was old. There was no way Gaius could just pull Merlin to a clearing that was outside the borders of Camelot, it was ridiculous just thinking about it.

Merlin felt stupid for asking Gaius such a favor. But he continued, "Get Percival to help you. You're just going to have to make up something to convince him to come with you. It's not going to take long anyway."

Gaius sighed, "I will see what I can do when I speak to Gwen. Stay here while I'm gone."

Merlin watched as Gaius slowly closed the door behind him.

* * *

"There it is! There's the exit!" Gwaine shouted happily. The knights managed to avoid the bandits. According to Fiona, they were all in a room with Morgana.

However, Fiona failed to mention the two bandits that blocked the exit. When they heard Gwaine, they turned to see the escaped prisoners. The bandits took out their swords. But Arthur was faster, running ahead and knocking out the both of them.

When they escaped the hideout, they were met with a stream of sunlight.

Leon looked around, "There's only one emergency horse." Leon pointed to the one horse that was close by.

Gwaine asked, "Two of us are going to have to get back on foot."

Leon walked towards the horse while saying, "You should take the horse, sire. The queen must be worried about you."

After a moment, Arthur replied, "No, Sir Leon, you take the horse back to Camelot. Inform Guinevere that I have some business to attend to, and that I will be back shortly."

Gwaine looked at Arthur, a bit confused. Leon had the same look, "Are you sure, sire?"

Arthur nodded, "Yes, now go. Camelot appears to be that way. If you get lost, you should try finding a public place to ask for help."

Leon nodded, "What should I tell the queen if she asks me what business you are attending to?"

"Tell her that I'm going to have a short, civil conversation with some druids. I need to speak with them," Arthur said.

Gwaine now looked more confused. Why would Arthur want to talk with the druids? Why now? Why not after he returns to Camelot?

Leon hesitantly said, "Yes, sire. I will see you shortly." Leon climbed onto the horse and took off as Arthur nodded after him.

Moments passed before Gwaine said, "Well! It looks like it's you and me now."

Arthur simply nodded and said, "We shouldn't be far from a druid camp."

Gwaine finally asked, "Why do you need to speak with the druids? The last time I checked you don't condone the use of magic."

"I don't, but I made a promise to a druid boy," Arthur said.

The memory was still clear in his head. Elyan was possessed by a druid boy who died from an attack that _he_ led. He was on his knees, pouring out his feelings to the boy. '_But now that I am king, I will do everything that I can to prevent anything like this happening again. The druid people will be treated with the respect they deserve, I give you my word.'_ Even after he said those words, he thought the boy was going to kill him. But the boy forgave him. Arthur gave his word that he would respect the druid people. He still hated magic. There was no doubt about that. But he wasn't going to hunt down every single magical being and slaughter them like his father did.

Arthur gave a quick explanation about the promise he made. Gwaine simply nodded, not questioning it any further.

Arthur and Gwaine wasn't a hundred percent sure where they were, but Arthur knew the lands pretty well. He knew where he would find a druid camp. He led a raid under his father's orders to bring Morgana home.

Gwaine asked again, "Why do you need to speak to the druids? You never answered that."

Arthur sighed, "Morgana mentioned a person named Emrys. Leon added onto the fact that he only knew that this Emrys is a sorcerer. But Morgana claims that this Emrys has been protecting me for _years_. Surely I would notice if someone was protecting me." Arthur seemed confused and slightly troubled, but he continued, "I mean, why would a sorcerer protect me? Is he trying to earn my trust, and then betray me later on?"

Gwaine answered, "I don't think this sorcerer has bad intentions. Morgana says that this person has been protecting you for years, why would he wait for you to trust him if he could just kill you yourself?"

"My father struck fear towards the sorcerers. Gaius told me before that he would round sorcerers up in the courtyard and slaughter them. Sorcerers expect me to be just like my father. Why would this sorcerer just come out saying that he has been protecting me? I mean… 'Pendragons' are known for persecuting sorcerers," Arthur replied.

"Who knows… let's just talk to the druids, then we'll head back to Camelot," Gwaine said.

Arthur nodded in agreement. He wanted to see Guinevere. There was no denying that. But millions of questions were in his mind right now, and they couldn't wait. Who was Emrys? Why does Morgana seem to think he's protecting me? Why does she even care about this sorcerer?

Arthur sighed as he kept on walking with Gwaine.

* * *

"You're saying… that in order for Merlin to get better… you need to bring him to this clearing… that's outside of Camelot?" Gwen asked, feeling a bit weird with Gaius's question.

"Yes milady. I found a way to cure Merlin, but he needs to be in a clear space with many trees. Merlin reminded me of the time he went with Arthur to battle a dragon. That's where I intend to bring him," Gaius replied.

Gwen then said, "Why do you need my permission for this?"

"I cannot do this on my own. I was going to ask if I could have Sir Percival help me get Merlin there," Gaius said.

Gwen understood what Gaius was implying. She finally said, "Very well, I'll inform Sir Percival to meet you at your home after supper."

"Thank you, milady," Gaius said.

Gwen almost didn't hear Gaius. She was worried about Arthur. It hasn't been that long, but every minute he's out there, he could be in danger. She couldn't bear to lose someone she loved again. She already lost her father when Uther had him executed. She also lost her best friend, Morgana. Well, she wasn't really her best friend anymore…

Gaius had left. Gwen was about to rise up to speak to Percival, until Leon walked in, panting.

"Sir Leon?" Gwen asked. "You're back," she said happily. Then she asked, "Where's Arthur and Sir Gwaine?"

Leon caught his breath before saying, "Milady, the king has told me to inform you that he has set off towards the druid camps to have a civil conversation. He is with Sir Gwaine, milady."

Gwen asked, confused, "What did Arthur need to speak with the druids for?"

Leon shrugged, "I don't know, milady. But I am sure the king will be back soon."

"What happened to you? You look exhausted…" Gwen then asked, worried.

"The girl that informed you about an attack from Morgana was in league with her. It was a trap. Morgana kidnapped us and held all of us prisoners. We got help and managed to escape. There was one emergency horse, and the king told me to ride back here to tell you that he was going to see the druids," Leon finished.

Gwen nodded, "You worked hard, Sir Leon. You may rest."

"Thank you, milady," Leon said.

Leon left, nodding to the two guards at the door. Gwen finally rose up from her throne and left to speak with Percival.

* * *

"I think we're here," Gwaine said to Arthur. There were tents of different colors. From a distance, they saw little children running around happily. They wore cloaks, but their hoods were down.

Arthur and Gwaine cautiously approached the children, sheathing their swords. Arthur was about to greet them until they noticed him. They turned to look at the two knights. They saw the familiar symbol of Camelot on a part of Arthur's armor. They knew they were knights of Camelot.

The children ran away to hide in one of the tents.

"That went well," Gwaine said sarcastically.

Arthur sighed. The next thing he noticed was a middle aged man came out of a tent in a green cloak. He looked close to elderly, seeing some gray hairs, but he didn't look too old.

"To what business do you have here, Arthur Pendragon?" the man asked.

"Who are you?" Arthur asked him first.

"I am Iseldir. I'll ask you again. What business do you have here?" Iseldir asked.

Arthur started, "I have come here to ask you about a sorcerer named Emrys."

Iseldir's eyes widened for fraction, but it was so small that the two knights didn't notice it. Iseldir attempted to regain his composture, "Where did you hear that name from?"

Arthur replied, "The Lady Morgana kidnapped me and mentioned his name. She claims that Emrys has been protecting me, and I was curious if you know of him."

Iseldir warily glanced at Gwaine, "Who's he?"

Arthur followed Iseldir's gaze, "This is Sir Gwaine. He can be trusted."

Iseldir didn't say anything for a moment, but then he said, "Follow me."

Arthur and Gwaine exchanged a glance before they followed Iseldir into a tent. Iseldir gestured them to sit down on the bed. He sat on the opposite bed.

"What do you intend to do if I tell you about Emrys?" Iseldir asked.

Arthur shook his head, troubled, "I don't know. I recently found out that a sorcerer has been protecting me for a while. It's a lot to take in."

"Indeed," Iseldir said. "If you ever find out the identity of Emrys, would you execute him?"

"I would give him the chance to explain himself, but I'm not sure if I should execute him if I ever find him," Arthur explained.

Iseldir folded his hands and then said, "According to our prophecies, Emrys is the foretold protector of the Once and Future King. This person is you, Arthur Pendragon. It is said that with Emrys's help, you will bring magic back and reunite the lands of Albion."

Arthur was really starting to get troubled now. Now he just learned he's this 'Once and Future King', who's supposed to bring magic back and reunite the lands of Albion. Gwaine on the other hand, looked impressed that he was associated with someone so special.

"What the Lady Morgana says is true. Emrys has been protecting you for years. He has saved your life countless times from danger," Iseldir continued.

"I don't remember anyone saving my life though," Arthur tried to convince himself of that.

Iseldir said, "Emrys protects you well, and he has done so without you noticing."

Arthur seemed to slowly accept this information. So what Morgana said was true then… but she seemed to think that he knew who Emrys was.

Gwaine then asked, "I have a small question. The Lady Morgana is well aware that Emrys exists. She has wanted to take over Camelot for a long time. Why hasn't she attacked yet? She has powerful magic. She could easily get Emrys out of her way."

Iseldir shook his head, "You don't understand. The Lady Morgana may be very powerful, but she fears Emrys. Prophecies had told her that Emrys is her destiny and her doom. Emrys will be the death of her. In order to take over Camelot, she needs to find out who Emrys is, so she can do everything she can to get rid of him." Iseldir then looked at Arthur again, "In fact, among the rest of the druids, it is said that Emrys is the most powerful sorcerer to ever walk the earth."

Gwaine looked confused, "So Morgana has no chance of winning."

"True, but she doesn't know that, and we all intend to keep it that way," Iseldir said firmly. "However, there is one thing that can kill any man **(1)**. If the Lady Morgana knows of this, she will stop at nothing to rid of Emrys."

"What is this… thing?" Arthur asked warily.

Iseldir shook his head, "I will not tell you. I cannot risk having Emrys die." Iseldir stood up, "I have told you everything that I will let you know about Emrys. I suggest you leave."

Iseldir exited the tent. Arthur and Gwaine followed him out. Iseldir stood there, gesturing towards the path back to Camelot.

"Thank you," Arthur said, nodding his head.

Iseldir nodded, "Remember, Emrys is no friend of the Lady Morgana. Remember that if you ever find out who Emrys is."

Iseldir turned and headed back into one of the tents, and Arthur and Gwaine set off back towards Camelot.

* * *

"I thank you for helping me, Sir Percival," Gaius said to Percival.

"It's no problem," Percival smiled. He easily carried Merlin. Gaius followed behind him.

There were finally outside the borders of Camelot, and they finally made it to the clearing.

"Thank you, Sir Percival, you can lay Merlin here," Gaius said.

Percival nodded, laying Merlin down on the grass. He said, "Should I stay here?"

Gaius shook his head, "I'm sorry Sir Percival, but I work better when I'm alone."

"Of course, I'll see you back in Camelot," Percival said. He turned and started walking back to Camelot.

Gaius sighed, and then said to Merlin, "Percival is gone."

Merlin glanced around to make sure no one else was there, and then he roared to the sky.

Moments passed before Gaius saw a faint shape flying towards the clearing. As it grew larger, Gaius took in the sight of the Great Dragon.

"You have called me young warlock," Kilgharrah stated. He then said to Gaius, "It is a pleasure meeting you. You may want to stand back."

Gaius backed away slowly. Once he was a good distance, Kilgharrah leaned down and breathed on Merlin. Finally, the air disappeared, and Merlin slowly rose up on two feet.

"Oh, that feels so much better. I feel great," Merlin said to Kilgharrah, "Thank you."

Kilgharrah bowed at Merlin and said, "I have kept an eye on Arthur, Merlin. He seeks information on Emrys. You may want to be more careful, Merlin."

Merlin asked him, "Do you think Arthur is ready to know?"

Kilgharrah replied, "It is your choice, young warlock. However, you cannot protect him from the witch if he chooses to kill you." The Great Dragon then said, "Arthur will arrive back to Camelot late tonight. He will be back by tomorrow morning."

Merlin nodded and then said, "Thank you."

Kilgharrah gave one last nod and flew off in the sky, disappearing from sight.

Merlin turned to see Gaius. They exchanged a hug.

"Remind me to ask you about all the times you talked with this dragon," Gaius said, stunned.

Merlin laughed as they headed back to Camelot.

* * *

**(1) **A sword forged in a dragon's breath – I know that it can be used to kill the undead, but I'm not 100% sure it can kill Merlin. If you watched the last episode of Season 5, a sword forged in a dragon's breath does indeed kill someone, but I'm not sure if it can kill Merlin. But just pretend it can :P

**A/N: **I hope you liked it! Sorry this chapter seems rushed in some places. I wanted to get this chapter done. The next chapter may be up late as well because of school reasons, but I will try my best to update as soon as I can. The next chapter includes both Arthur and Merlin. Thanks! Positive reviews please!


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